Inserts for artificial teeth



June 21, 1960 A. c. JERMYN 2,941,295

INSERTS FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH Original Filed May 21, 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1:llllllln @MIHWWMYWLQ I mli iiilii ARTHUR C, .JERMV/Y IN V EN TOR.

eyxwa ww June 21, 1960 A. c. JERMYN 2,941,295

INSERTS FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH Original Filed May 21, 1956 2 sheets-sheet2 ARTHUIQ C. JERMV/Y IN V EN TOR.

Arm/away limited States Fateht 6 Substituted for abandoned applicationSer. No. 586,260,

May 21, 1956. This application Nov. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 695,174

8 Claims. (Cl. 32-2) The present invention relates to inserts forartificial teeth and more particularly to a plurality of such insertswhich are simultaneously embedded in the artificial teeth and todispensable patterns for said inserts and this application is asubstitute application corresponding to Serial No. 586,260, filed May21, 1956, now abandoned.

It is well known that the life and efficiency of artificial teeth may belengthened and improved by the provision of hard inserts, as for examplethe dental masticators disclosed and claimed in my United States PatentNo. 2,746,148 issued May 22, 1956. Moreover, the masticating action ofinserts is improved by the provision of occlusal plane determiningmembers and/or by the provision of a plurality of masticators. However,the time and difiiculty of embedding such a plurality of inserts in theartificial teeth is often a factor in the decision of a patient and/or adentist against their use.

The primary object of the present invention is the simultaneousembedding of a plurality of dental inserts into artificial teeth, whichnot only shortens the time of insertion but also improves the accuracywith which such inserts are embedded in the artificial teeth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of pairsof masticators and/or occlusal plane determining members which aresimultaneously mounted in the artificial teeth.

A further object of the invention is the provision of dispensablepatterns for the inserts so that the inserts may be made by the dentistor laboratory technician according to known methods.

Other and further objects of the invention will be suggested to thoseskilled in the art by the disclosure which follows.

' Reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference characters designate similar elements and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a set of artificial teeth which have beenslotted to receive inserts, and in which inserts, according to theinvention, have been embedded.

' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of a set of artificial teethcontaining inserts according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a bottom elevation of the insert, or the pattern for theinsert, preferably placed in the upper plate.

Fig. 4 is a top elevation of the insert, or the pattern for the insert,preferably placed in thelower plate.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the inserts of Figs. 3 and 4 shown incontact with each other.

' Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a set of artificial teethcontaining inserts like those shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 7 isa bottom elevation of an insert composed of a pair of spacedmasticator halves, preferably for an upper plate.

1 Fig. 8 is a top elevation of an insert composed of apair of spacedmasticator halves complementary to those of Fig. 7 and preferably for alower plate.

i Fig.- -9 is a'fragmentary side elevation of asetof arti- I pair ofintermediately ficial teeth containing inserts like those shown in Figs.10 and 11.

'Fig. 10 is a bottom elevation of an insert composed of a pair of spacedocclusal erably for an upper plate.

Fig. 11 is a top elevation of pair of plane spaced occlusal preferablyfor a lower plate.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 5inclusive and Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 9 show how the preferred and modifiedforms of the invention are applied to sets of artificial teeth. The setof artificial teeth comprises an upper plate 12 having a gum portion 13and a palate 14 simulating the corresponding natural parts of the monthand includes a series of artificial teeth such as molars 15 and 1 6 andbicuspids 17 and 18. The lower plate 19 comprises a gum portion 20 andincludes a series of artificial teeth such as molars 21 and 22 andbiscuspids 23 and 24.

A pair of inserts according to the invention are embedded preferably ineach set of teeth and particularly in the posterior tooth area. One ofsuch inserts, see particularly Fig. 3, comprises an elongated baseportion 25, a pair of hemispherical occlusal plane determining members26 and 27 at opposite ends of said base portion 25, a spaced masticatormembers .28 and 29 each of which may be provided with a transversegroove 30 and 31, respectively, and intermediate deflector members 32,33 and 34. The other insert, see particularly Fig. 4, comprises anelongated base portion 35, a pair of an insert composed of a planedetermining members,

5 cyliudricalocclusal plane determining members 36.and

' I flector members 40, 41

37, preferably having plane circular faces, and located at opposite endsof said base portion 35, and a pair of masticator members 38 and 39 inspaced relation therebetween. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5,longitudinal deand 42 are respectively'betwe'en occlusal planedetermining member 36 and masticator member 38, between masticatormembers 38 and 39,- and between masticator member 39 and occlusal planedetermining member 37, and said deflector members 40, 41- and 42 andmasticator members 38 and 39 may be provided with a longitudinal groove43, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The manner of embedding the inserts in the artificial teeth will now bedescribed. The occlusal surfaces of the molars 15 and 16 and bicuspids17 and 18 are provided with an elongated slot 44, see upper portion ofFig. I,

and the molars 21 and 22 and bicuspids 23 and 24 of the lower plate areprovided with an elongated slot 45. Such slots 44' and 45 may be cutinto the artificial teeth with dental drills and are made large enoughto receive the base portions '25 and 35 of the inserts and are deepenough so that the contact points and surfaces of the occlusal planedetermining members and dental masticators are approximately on theocclusal plane of the set of teeth when said base portions 25 and 35 arein the bot-toms of said slots 44 and 45. Self-curing plastic is placedinto the slots 45 in the teeth of the lower plate 19 and the insertshaving a plurality of occlusal plane determining members and masticatormembers thereon are placed in each slot therein and the teeth closedinto centric, either within a out of the patients mouth, and'the fiatplanes of the rhasi ticator's and occlusal locating members are incorrect v er-r tical and centric positions. Again after the plasticiscom pletely hardened; excess plastic is cut away and the plasticPatented June 21, 1960 plane determining members, pref is ground untilthe correct esthetic shape and appearance ing members and deflectormembers for each of the masti'catory areas of the teeth so that severalsuch members as are desired are embedded into the teeth by one'insertion.

Fig. 2 illustrates the optimum contact points and surfaces obtained bysuch multiple integration of the occlusal plane locating members andmasticator and deflector members. The lower insert having base portion35 is embedded within the molars 21 and 22 and within the bicuspids 23and 24 so that the plane circular faces of the cylindrical occlusalplane determining members '36 and 37 and the faces of the masticatingmembers 38 and 39, which are all in the same plane by virtue of theconstruction of the insert, are positioned so as to coincide with theocclusal plane of the teeth. Then by the technique described before, theother insert having base portion 25 is embedded in the molars and 16 andbicuspids 17 and 18 of the upper plate 12 so that the points of contactof hemispherical occlusal plane determining members 26 and 27 and thegrooved faces of masticator members 28 and 29, which are in a commonplane, coincide with the occlusal plane of the teeth and simultaneouslyengage the planes of the locating andmasticating members of the oppositeinsert. Not only does such multiple provision of the occlusal planelocating and mast'icating members considerably reduce the time over thatwhich would be required to insert each of them individually but theplanes or contact points of the respective members on the insert aremechanically made in the same plane before insertion and the dentistneeds merely to embed the insert so that the planes or contact pointsare in the occlusal plane of the teeth to obtain a result that wouldotherwise only be possible by the most accurate and painstakingtechnique requiring manytimes the time needed for the insertionaccording to the invention.

. The advantages of ball-point balanced occlusion are explained indetail in my paper entitled Ball-Point Balanced Occlusion in the ImplantDenture which was pre-f.

sented by me at the Third International Dental Congress, Mexico City,Mexico, on October 27, 1955, and which was published in The Journal ofImplant Dentistry, vol. 2, No. 1, November 1955. The individualmasticators there described will be recognized as of the type disclosedand claimed in my United States Patent 2,746,158. My aforementionedpaper alsoissued May 22, 1956. describes maintaining the proper verticaldimension of the artificial teeth by provision therein of masticatorsand/or occlusal plane determining members.

Other variations of the multiple provision of occlusal plane determiningmembers and/or masticator members are within the purview of myinvention. One such variation being shown in Figs. 6-8 and another inFigs. 9-l1, inclusive.

Multiple provision and insertion of dental masticators may beaccomplished by means of the inserts shown in Figs. 7 and 8. One suchinsert comprises a base portion 46 and a pair of dental masticators 4-7and 48 in spacedrelation near opposite ends of said base portion '46.Each of said masticators 47 and 48 is provided with a groove 49extending buccolingually thereof. The other insert comprises a baseportion 50 having a pair of dental masticators 51 and 52 in spacedrelation thereon, connected by a deflector 53 and provided with alongitudinal groove 54 extending mesiodistally of the teeth wheninserted. The masticators 47 and 48 may be of other shapes or forms, theimportant fact according to the invention is that they are provided ingangs upon the inserts so that r. 4 they can be embedded simultaneouslyinto each masticatory area 'of the teeth. As shown in Fig. '6 when theinserts are placed in the artificial teeth by a suitable technique, suchas that previously described, the occlusal faces of the masticators 47,43, 51 and 52 make surface contact with each other at the occlusal planeof the teeth. Multiple provision and insertion of the occlusal planedetermining members may be accomplished by means of the inserts shown inFigs, 10 and 11. One such insert comprises a base portion 55 having apair of hemispherical occlusal plane determining members 56 and 57 inspaced relation near opposite ends of said base portion 55. The otherinsert comprises a base portion 58 having a pair of cylindrical occlusalplane determining members 59 and 60 in spaced relation on and atopposite ends of said base portion 58. The occlusal plane determiningmembers 56 and 57 may have other shapes which give a minimum frictionalengagement with the occlusal faces of the members 59 and 60. As shown inFig. 9, embedding the inserts just described results in an optimumlocation of the occlusal plane determining members 56,

57, 59 and 60 and so that the contact points of the members 56 and 57are centrically of the members 59 and 60 permitting the maximumeccentric excursions during chewing with the teeth.

While the inserts hereinbefore described are preferably made ofstainless steel, they can obviously be made 'of any other relativelyhard corrosion-resistant metal or material. Since that will require arelatively expensive inventory or will increase mailing and shippingcharges for the inserts, it may be described to provide the inserts inall the shapes and forms disclosed and described but composed of alow-ash plastic material so that the dentist or-the dental laboratorymay by known methods produce or mold the inserts out of any metal ormaterial used for other dental parts, inlays or inserts. One such lowashplastic is polystyrene which is generally available commercially.

Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize the advantages ofthe multiple or gang type inserts for simultaneously embedding aplurality of occlusal plane determining members and/or a plurality ofdental masticato'rs in a set of artificial teeth. Several variations ofthe inserts beyond those shown are possible without departing from thespirit of the invention so that the scope of my invention is not to belimited by the disclosure but is to be as defined by the claims whichfollow.

Having now described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States and what I claim is:

l. A set of artificial teeth including a lower plate and an upper plate,comprising a plurality of pairs of occlusal plane determining membersand a plurality of pairs of dental masticators, all made of materialwhich is hard relative to the artificial teeth, a plurality of theocclusal plane determining members and of the mastica-' tors in oneplate being integrally formed and simul vv =taneously embedded in saidone plate, and a plurality of the occlusal plane determining members andof the masticators in the other plate being integrally formed andsimultaneously embedded in said other plate and.

arranged to cooperate with each other when said teeth are moved forchewing. 2. A set of artificial teeth including a lower plate and anupper plate, comprising a pair of dental masticators.

each having plane occlusal masticating faces and mounted respectively inthe teeth of said upper and lower plates so that said plane occlusalmasticating faces contact eachother when said teeth are in closedposition, and a pair of occlusal plane determining members mountedrespectively in the teeth of said upper and lower plates and both madeof material which is hard relative to the artificial teeth, one of saidmembers having a plane occlusal face adjacent one of said masticatorsand the other of said members being formed to make a low frictioncontact with said plane occlusal face when said teeth are in closedposition.

3. A set of artificial teeth including a lower plate and an upper plate,comprising a plurality of pairs of dental masticators made of materialwhich is hard relative to the artificial teeth and each having planeocclusal masticating faces, a plurality of dental masticators in oneplate being integrally formed and simultaneously mounted therein, andthe plurality of dental masticators in the other plate being integrallyformed and simultaneously mounted therein so that the respective planeocclusal masticating faces are all in juxtaposition to each other whensaid teeth are in closed position.

4. A set of artificial teeth including a lower plate and an upper plate,comprising a plurality of pairs of occlusal plane determining membersmade of material which is hard relative to the artificial teeth, aplurality of the occlusal plane determining members in one plate beingintegrally formed and simultaneously embedded in said one plate and eachsuch said members having a plane occlusal face, and a plurality of theocclusal plane determining members in the other -plate being integrallyformed and simultaneously embedded in said other plate in juxtapositionto each of the first mentioned members when said teeth are in closedposition and each such said member being formed to make a low frictioncontact with the juxtaposed plane occlusal faces when said teeth are inclosed position.

5. As an article of manufacture, an insert for artificial teeth andcomposed of a material which is hard relative to said teeth, comprisinga base portion, a pair of occlusal plane determining members thereon, apair of dental masticators on said base portion, and deflector memberson said base portion and each between said occlusal plane determiningmembers and said dental masticators.

6. As an article of manufacture, an insert for artificial teeth andcomposed of a material which is hard relative to said teeth, comprisinga base portion, a pair of occlusal plane determining members thereonadjacent opposite ends thereof, and a dental masticator between saidocclusal plane determining members.

7. As an article of manufacture, an insert for artificial teeth andcomposed of a material which is hard relative to said teeth, comprisinga base portion having a pair of occlusal plane determining members inspaced relation thereon.

8. As an article of manufacture, an insert for artificial teeth andcomposed of a material which is hard relative to said teeth, comprisinga base portion having a pair of dental masticators in spaced relationthereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,348,935 Smith May 16, 1944 2,369,892 Greneker Feb. 20, 1945 2,746,148Jermyn May 22, 1956 2,776,485 Stuart Jan. 8, 1957

